Verb Tenses Flashcards
Mention the 12 verb tenses
What does simple present describe?
Shows something that happens regularly. It shows habit.
Singular subjects, s on the verb
Plural subjects, no ending on the verb
What does simple past describe?
Shows something that happened in the past and finish in the past at a particular time.
Regular verbs use ed on the ending
Irregular verbs (sit) have a special past tense form
What does simple future describe?
Something that is going to happend in the future
Use will + simple form of the verb
ex. Jerry will play tennis next weekend.
What characterize progressive tenses?
Progressive tenses show that an action is continuing at a certain period of time.
What does present progressive describe?
Shows what is happening right now.
Two parts of the verb: a be verb and an ing
Singular subject use be verb is + ing
Plural subject use be verb are + ing
What does past progressive describe?
Shows an action that was continuing at a certain time in the past.
Two parts of the verb: a be verb and an ing
Singular subject use be verb was + ing
Plural subject use be verb where + ing
ex. Jennifer was walking to class.
What does future progressive describe?
Shows something that will be happening continuously at a time in the future.
Two parts of the verb: will be and an ing
ex. Jennifer will be walking to class.
What does present perfect describe?
Show something that happened in the past, before now, at a non-specific time OR something that happened regularly in the past, lots of times, but at non-specific times.
Show something happend in the past before now and is related to the present but shows something in the past.
Two parts of verb: present tense of have + past participle
Singular subject: has
Plural subject: have
ex. Steve has eaten sushi before.
I have eaten all of the pizza
What does past perfect describe?
Has nothing to do with present - now is not important.
Two actions in the past and one of the actions happend before the other in the past.
Use past tense of have = had and past particible of verb
ex. Alan had not studied before he took the test.
I had eaten all of the pizza when you arrived.
What does future perfect describe?
Shows two actions in the future, nothing to do with now
Use future perfect will have and past particible
ex. By next weekend, I will have seen the new movies six times.
What does present perfect progressive describe?
Shows that something started before now and has continued and may continue even longer. It about the time the action goes on.
Must have three parts to the verb:
- Have/has +
- been which is past participial of be
- ing ending
ex. she has been waiting for a long time.
I have been eating pizza for 2 hours.
Shows that something was happening in the past and may have been going on before something else. Focus is on the length of time that he did this
had been + ing on verb
ex. He had been sleeping for ten hours.
(He was doing the action continusly for the duration of 10 hours)
I had been eating pizza for 2 hours when you arrived.
What does future perfect progressive decribe?
Shows a continuous action in the future that lasts continuosly.
will have been + ing
ex. We will have been studying for a month.
I will have been eating pizza for 2 hours when you arrive.
